Stamford police officer suspended

Cop accused of showing woman picture of his genitals

Published 9:49 pm, Friday, May 28, 2010

Photo: File Photo

Image 1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

Stamford Police Officer Paul Mabey.

Stamford Police Officer Paul Mabey.

Photo: File Photo

Stamford police officer suspended

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

STAMFORD -- A veteran city police officer has been suspended and is facing additional disciplinary measures and possibly criminal charges after a woman alleged that he showed her a picture of his genitals during a traffic stop Wednesday night.

2006 Officer of the Year Paul Mabey was suspended with pay as of 1 p.m. Friday, after a 26-year-old Norwalk woman's allegations she suffered "embarrassment and shame" after being stopped for talking on her cell phone while driving.

The woman, who was with her 21-month-old baby, said after she rebuffed a pass by Mabey, he pulled out his cell phone and showed her the picture.

Mabey's cell phone was seized by investigators when he came to work Thursday. Police and court sources also confirm investigators found the picture and now have it as evidence.

Sources also told The Advocate that police Chief Robert Nivakoff is extremely angry about the allegations and is making sure the investigation stays on track.

In a statement, Nivakoff said the complaint described conduct "so morally reprehensible that if verified, would clearly indicate conduct definitely unbecoming of any police officer and is not acceptable to the chief and the professional men and women of the city of Stamford Police Department."

Mabey, a 14-year police veteran who is married and had a child in January, was made to turn in his gun, shield and identification, and is not allowed back in police headquarters at 805 Bedford St., Nivakoff said. He was suspended pending the findings of an internal investigation.

Nivakoff said he is working with the state's attorney's office at the Stamford courthouse to determine whether any criminal charges may be filed. State's Attorney David Cohen said that while he is looking into the case, he could not comment on an ongoing investigation.

Police union President Sgt. Joseph Kennedy said Mabey was a diligent officer who, up until about a year ago, worked in the detective bureau and was assigned to a lot of cases.

"Hopefully this thing will come to a positive resolve," Kennedy said. He added that Mabey was trying to process what happened and is cooperating with the investigation.

On Friday, the woman, who is not being identified because she appears to be a victim in the case, said she was grateful that Mabey was taken off the job.

"I think it was the right action to take, and I am waiting to see what the end result is," she said.

According to her allegation, Mabey pulled her over early Wednesday evening and looked at her lap during the stop and noticed that her dress had ridden up her thighs.

After apologizing, the woman, who works for the federal government as a data analyst, rolled her dress down. She then said Mabey replied, "No. I like what I see."

The woman then told Mabey he was not her type and, with her daughter sitting in a rear baby seat, he then asked if that was because he was white, she said.

She said no, that it was because he was too old.

"I'm only 40. ... That's not old, it's experienced," she quoted Mabey saying back to her in her formal complaint, which was sent to Nivakoff and copied to both The Advocate and the American Civil Liberties Union.

After taking her license and registration to his car, Mabey came back and told her she should plead not guilty to the cell phone ticket and buy and present a receipt for a hands-free device and the ticket will go away, she said in her letter.

At that point, the woman said she was ready to forgive Mabey's behavior until he said, "Want to see what 40-year-old experience will do for you?"

She said Mabey then pulled out his cell phone and showed her the picture.

"All I could say was wow. My brain could not form any other words to say. He asked me if I would call him and I took his card so that I would have his contact information to write this letter to you," she wrote in her letter.

He was also an investigator in the detective bureau for a little more than five years and found his name in print many times for investigating crimes and making arrests.

After going home and talking to a New York City police officer about her traffic stop, the woman said she decided to make the complaint.

"What bothered me the most about it was that it did not progress, it just started off bold. It started off with a bang. For you to be comfortable doing that, you must be doing it often. It bothers me because when you are at work, you are supposed to act a certain way," she said.

The incident follows a 10-month investigation, concluded in April, into the use of excessive force by Stamford police Officer Gregory Zach.

Zach was accused of punching a businesswoman who runs a downtown restaurant during an Alive @ Five concert in July. Zach was placed on paid leave after the allegations and was suspended without pay in April until June 30.

Staff writer John Nickerson can be reached at john.nickerson@scni.com or 203-964-2320.